


Reconciliation

by Fulcrumisthebomb



Series: Fort Max/Rung ficlets [4]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-07
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-28 18:30:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/995129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fulcrumisthebomb/pseuds/Fulcrumisthebomb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rung is confused as to why Fort Max would agree to pursuing an intimate relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reconciliation

"So, that's it for today? Excellent! Good work, doc."

Rung smothered a small sigh as he nodded. Whirl was not capable of facial emoting, but he more than made up for that deficiency with a very expressive frame. The sarcasm was not lost on Rung, though it didn't sting. Much. "I agree. I will see you in a few days, Whirl, and remember my door is-,"

"Always open, yeah." Whirl leaned closer, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Makes it difficult to prank you, I heard Swerve saying the other day. And I might have agreed to help him come up with some alternatives. Fair warning, since you're always so free with that energon candy."

Rung huffed in amusement, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you; there isn't much that can frighten me."

"Oh, a challenge," Whirl replied with an ominous laugh, clicking his clawtips together. "Gotta get a betting pool set up now, it's on! Hey." The single optic dipped past the door, peering down the hallway. "Where's tall, dark and homicidal?"

"What?"

Whirl tapped a claw to Rung's audial with a sharp _clang_ in response, and Rung started.

"Oh, Max? He's not..." Rung hesitated, then inwardly grimaced when he saw the flare of interest in Whirl's optic. A bad time to be tentative; he had wanted to keep this fact to themselves for as long as possible, but Whirl would know if he lied. "He is not my patient anymore."

"Whoa, seriously? You holding out on me, doc? What miracle cure did you pull out of those ridiculous eyebrows?"

"He isn't 'cured' because he was never ill," Rung replied patiently. "He may have needed the care I provided, but the progress he has made has been of his own doing."

"Uh-huh," Whirl said dryly. "I don't think that could've been more of a textbook answer if you'd read from it. Whatever, doc, see you at Swerve's."

"See you later, Whirl." Rung waited until the ex-Wrecker was out of sight before he loosed the sigh he'd been holding. Sessions with Whirl were always exhausting, which was partly why he'd scheduled Fort Max right after him. Even in his most insular moods, Max had always been a comforting presence.

Rung sat at his desk and folding his hands neatly, staring down at them. He had considered inviting Max to spend this block of time with him anyway, but eventually decided against it. After the startling revelation last night that Max was not opposed to forging an intimate relationship, Rung thought it best to put as much time as possible between Max being his patient and being something more. Some time and distance would help remove them from thinking of themselves as therapist and patient. That was the practical thing to do.

Sighing, Rung slumped onto the desk, resting his face in the crook of his arms. Practical, yes, but frustrating. And lonely; one night recharging in Max's lap and he was already missing him. The sudden dependency was alarming at best-

A knock on the door startled him into sitting up, smiling immediately when he saw Fort Max standing awkwardly poised to walk in.

"Are you busy?"

Rung shook his head, motioning him inside. "I have a break now, in fact, and I would enjoy spending it with you," he said before he thought. "You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

Fort Max smiled shyly as he walked over to sit in front of the desk; Rung got up and moved around so he could sit across from him, without the furniture separating them.

"I got halfway here before I remembered I didn't have an appointment," Fort Max admitted.

Rung smiled, leaning forward to pat Max's knee. "I'm glad you came anyway. I was just thinking about you, actually."

"Oh?" Fort Max shifted uncomfortably. "What about?"

"Last night." Rung's smile widened as Fort Max visibly relaxed. "And if you're willing, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

Rung glanced down at his folded hands, then sighed and straightened. No sense in being coy about this; a direct approach would be preferred by them both. "I understand what you meant last night, and you're right; I don't ask for anything for myself. But I'm curious as to why you agreed so quickly. I... Well, I never got the impression you would willingly reciprocate my feelings."

Fort Max nodded solemnly, settling further in his seat before replying. "My explanation is... lengthy."

"Wonderful," Rung said happily. He wasn't sure what he'd hoped Max would say, but the more detail the better. "Please, take your time."

"A long while ago, I was staying over at a Wrecker outpost between assignments. It was a large facility, too large if you ask me. That many Wreckers in one space was a volatile situation, but at least it provided endless amusement. I discovered just _how_ amusing my first day, when I ended up in the mess hall. An inevitable fight broke out among those waiting in line, and within seconds it escalated into a free for all brawl. The rest of the Wreckers edged into a circle around them, cheering on their friends and occasionally joining in."

Fort Max huffed a soft laugh. "It was pure chaos. Although technically I had little authority on the base, I was considering stepping in when I noticed a short thin bot rushing toward the fighting. Definitely not a Wrecker, but apparently determined to throw himself into the fray. I held back, waiting to see what would happen when it all stopped. Just... stopped. The yelling quieted, the frantic punching quit, and that small bot was standing in the middle, talking down the few that had started it all."

Rung's optics were wide with disbelief. "Was that-?"

Fort Max held up a hand and Rung quieted. "Please, let me finish. I had thought this event would be unique, so I filed away the memory and forgot about it until the next morning, when the entire scenario played itself over again."

Rung covered his mouth to hide a laugh, nodding.

"This got me thinking," Fort Max continued. "I was astonished this obviously non-warrior class bot could literally walk into a fistfight and end it without using violence. His power was in words, and that fascinated me as much as it confused me. I made a point to never miss a meal, and I came to realize these events were commonly accepted by everyone. It took a lot of thought and many processor aches, but eventually I understood that I was witnessing mental strength triumphing over physical."

Fort Max paused, shifting again as he glanced to the side. "Through my observations, at the Wrecker base and elsewhere in my career, I learned there's a limit to physical strength, but mental strength has none. So when I was captured and tortured, I felt no shame when my physical strength was overcome- even I have limits. But I knew I could survive the trauma, because my mental strength was limitless. Or, so I thought."

"But, Max," Rung interrupted urgently, rising to stand next to him, "mental abuse has no limits either. Everyone will break if subjected to enough torture. Everyone."

Fort Max rumbled wordlessly as he gently lifted Rung to sit on his thigh, curling both hands around Rung's diminutive middle. "I didn't know you, but it was the thought of you that kept me going for weeks. Back in that mess hall, you had shown me what true strength was. I- wanted to make you proud, but I wasn't strong enough."

"Oh, Max," Rung murmured, reaching up to stroke his face with both hands, "I _am_ proud of you. I am humbled and awed that I could be such an inspiration. I- I really don't know what to say."

An awkward silence followed as they stared at each other, only their hands moving as they offered comforting touches. Rung was honestly speechless; to know that he had had such an impact on Max's life and never knew!

"Had you planned on ever telling me this?" he finally asked.

"...Only if you asked very specific questions," Fort Max mumbled. "These memories inspired conflicting emotions that I thought best to keep to myself. But," he leaned down, rubbing their foreheads together, "that is the other reason why I agreed last night. My admiration has evolved beyond professional borders."

Rung's spark sang in its chamber as he surged upward, thin arms wrapping around the thick neck as their lips finally met. He used the kiss to express the wave of adoration swelling in his systems and burning through his fields. 

And when he felt that devotion returned through touch and taste and sound, a sigh of relief mingled with their moans.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
